Coco Gauff is a rising US tennis star. On Saturday, the 19-year-old won her first Grand Slam championship (大满贯冠军) by beating Aryna Sabalenka. Gauff’s win makes her the youngest American to win an important tennis championship since 1999.
The US Open is one of the four most important tennis tournaments (锦标赛) in the world — it’s known as a “Grand Slam” tournament. The US Open is the fourth Grand Slam tournament this year, and took place in New York City.
Sabalenka, who is from Belarus, played hard in the first set, and Gauff seemed to be struggling (挣扎). Sabalenka won the first set 6-2. But Gauff didn’t give up. She began to play better in the second set. She wound up winning the second set 6-3, and tying things up. The New York fans supported Gauff loudly, and that seemed to help. It also helped that Sabalenka began making more and more mistakes. Gauff took the third set, 6-2. As the match ended, Gauff dropped to the ground with joy. With the win, Gauff became the youngest American to win a Grand Slam championship since 1999. That’s when Serena Williams won the US Open at 17.
Gauff has been a rising star for a while. She first came to the attention of tennis fans when she beat tennis great Venus Williams at Wimbledon in 2019, when she was 15. Last year, for the first time, Gauff made it to the final of a Grand Slam tournament, the French Open. But she lost to Iga Swiatek.
Gauff wasn’t just tested in the game. She also had to face terrible comments (评论) on the Internet. But she didn’t get upset by them. Instead, Gauff said that they actually helped her. “That just put the fire in me,” she said.
1. What’s paragraph 3 mainly about?| A．Gauff’s match. | B．Sabalenka’s struggle. |
| C．New York fans’ support. | D．A history-made record. |
| A．Beating Iga Swiatek. |
| B．Winning the 2019 Wimbledon. |
| C．Making it to the final of the French Open. |
| D．Becoming the youngest winner in tennis history. |
| A．She always helps her teammates. |
| B．She always wins championships. |
| C．She cares about becoming famous. |
| D．She is not easily troubled by comments online. |
| A．Coco Gauff’s Secret to Success |
| B．19-Year-Old Coco Gauff Wins US Open |
| C．The First Woman Player Becomes Famous |
| D．A Grand Slam Tournament Takes Place on Saturday |
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【推荐1】If you were to rate the most walkable cities in the world, what would you look for? Would it be how shaded the sidewalks are? How many benches there are along the way to your destination? Or maybe how close you are to shops or local attractions?
Well, the researchers at the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), located in New York. US, wanted to know which of the world’s cities were the best for pedestrians (行人). So, they did just that.
To determine which cities were the most walkable, they rated cities based on factors such as how close citizens were to car-free areas like public parks, how close citizens lived in relation to schools and hospitals, and how short their journeys were overall.
According to the study, they found that the most walkable cities in the world are London, Paris, Bogota and Hong Kong. Overall, London was at the top of the list, outranking (超过) nearly 1, 000 cities around the world on these key factors.
“In order to provide safety and inviting walking conditions for all city residents, it is essential to shift the balance of space in our cities away from cars, providing more travel options for people,” CEO of ITDP Heather Thompson told the magazine Cities Today. She continued, “We have so much to gain-from cleaner air to better health to stronger local economies and deeper bonds within communities, and we all need that now more than ever. ”
Unfortunately, it seems that very few cities make pedestrians a priority, though.
“Our city streets across the planet are already full of cars. If you really want to see the worst for walkability, it is the really sprawling (杂乱无序伸展的) cities of the US, ” commented Taylor Reich, a research associate at ITDP and the primary author of the guide to making cities more walkable.
So, what can cities do to make their streets friendlier for pedestrians?
“There’s no one secret sauce; there’s no one thing you can do to make a city walkable, ” Reich said. “It’s many decisions that are made at all levels from individual streets all the way up to the city design.”
1. What’s the purpose of the study?| A．To call on cities to make streets more walkable. |
| B．To find out the most walkable cities around the world. |
| C．To investigate pedestrians’ satisfaction with city life. |
| D．To explore factors impacting the walkability of cities. |
| A．The amount of green space on sidewalks. |
| B．Traffic and road conditions for pedestrians. |
| C．The number of public services for pedestrians. |
| D．Accessibility of certain destinations to pedestrians. |
| A．Increasing travel choices. | B．Developing local economies. |
| C．Limiting the number of cars. | D．Connecting local communities. |
| A．Cars are major contributors to reduced walkability. |
| B．US cities are designed to give priority to pedestrians. |
| C．It is everyone’s responsibility to make a city walkable. |
| D．Both small and large scale measures are required to improve walkability. |
【推荐2】Different from regular concerts, roadside concerts in Guiyang, capital city of southwest China’s Guizhou Province, allow people to immerse themselves in music. Without tickets or fences, young people held hands together, singing and dancing. Videos showing their relaxing and cheerful performances went viral after being posted on social media.
From common people to stars, music brings people together. “Whether they are ordinary people or stars, when stepping onto the small stage by the road, they can enjoy the joy of music together,” said Zhou Wenjia, deputy head of the publicity department of Yunyan District.
Sun Guang, head of Nanming District’s cultural and tourism bureau in Guiyang, became a hit for the roadside concert.
“I have a music dream,” said Sun, who once took part in national competitions and performed on stage in Beijing. But for being busy with his work, he saw his guitar covered in dust. While seeing the flowing crowds, Sun signed up in secret, put on his leather jacket and sunglasses, and stood on his beloved stage.
But perhaps because of his wonderful performance, some audience recognized him. When singing on the stage for the third time, a short video showing his performance became a hit online and received nearly 1 million views, which put him at a loss for a time.
Qingyun Market, one of the venues of roadside concerts, is a famous tourist attraction in Guiyang which sells night snacks and local cultural and creative products. With the popularity of concerts, the market has become an important engine to boost the city’s economy.
“Roadside concerts now have become an important economic booster, and I could be a promoter. This is a good combination of my hobbies and duties,” said Sun.
As roadside concerts continue to gain steam, music has become a driving force for consumption. Guiyang has made it clear that roadside concerts will continue to require zero tickets, zero business, and zero distance from the people, with an aim to build a city with warmth and hospitality.
1. What does the underlined expression “went viral” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Caught a virus. | B．Became popular. |
| C．Piled up. | D．Got blocked. |
| A．People enjoy the music together for free by the road. |
| B．Many superstars and bands enjoy street performances. |
| C．Audience immerse themselves in music inside the fences. |
| D．Roadside concerts gain little support from the government. |
| A．Because he is too busy with his work. |
| B．Because he can’t stand public attention. |
| C．Because he wants to mask his real identity. |
| D．Because he lacks confidence in his performance. |
| A．Roadside concerts will attract sponsorship to earn profit. |
| B．Roadside concerts will charge the audience in the future. |
| C．Roadside concerts are aimed to improve the urban infrastructure. |
| D．Roadside concerts can boost the economic development in Guiyang. |
【推荐3】The moon may shine white above us most nights of the year, but how much do we know about Earth’s neighbor and what lies beneath its surface? Scientists are aiming to find out.
On Jan 3, 2019, China’s Chang’e 4 spacecraft landed on the far side of the moon – a first for humanity. It released a small probe (探测器), Yutu 2, or Jade Rabbit 2, which began to search beneath the moon’s surface using Lunar Penetrating Radar. These radio signals can reach 40 meters underground, three times the depth of the Chang’e 3 lunar probe launched in 2013 for the near side of the moon, China Daily reported.
In a study published in the journal Science Advances, researchers found that the lunar soil’s top layer on the far side of the moon was much thicker than expected – about 40 meters. Other scientists only expected about 6 millimeters of soil based on NASA observations during the Apollo moon landings, according to The New York Times.
“It’s a fine, dusty, sandy environment,” said one of the authors of the study, Elena Pettinelli, a physics and mathematics professor at Rome Tre University, Rome.
Yutu 2 is specifically exploring the Von Karman crater (大坑), a large hole that’s 180 kilometers wide and also the landing site of Chang’e 4. It’s part of an even larger, older crater spanning more than 1,770 kilometers.
“The subsurface at the Chang’e 4 landing site is very complex,” said Li Chunlai, a research professor and deputy director-general of National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Observations suggest that the subsurface material is totally different than the previous landing site of Chang’e 3, she said.
Radar waves revealed various layers beneath the moon’s surface: grainy (颗粒状的) material, boulders (岩石), and further layers of fine and coarse (粗糙的) particles. This information is helping scientists to gain new understanding of the moon’s history and formation, as well as volcanic activity and lunar impacts.
Yutu 2 is the longest-working rover (巡视器) on the moon, but it won’t last forever. China plans to launch the Chang’e 5 probe later this year, Xinhua News Agency reported. The spacecraft is expected to bring pieces of the moon back to Earth for closer study.
1. What can we learn about the Chang’e 4 probe?| A．It was the first to land on the moon’s near side. |
| B．It explored areas as wide as 1,770 kilometers. |
| C．It is three times as large as the Chang’e 3 lunar probe. |
| D．Its signals could reach 40 meters beneath the moon’s surface. |
| A．It looks like a large hole. |
| B．It is about 6 millimeters thick. |
| C．It goes farther down than expected. |
| D．It is covered by boulders and fine and coarse particles. |
| A．Bring lunar samples back to the Earth | B．Explore the Von Karman crater. |
| C．Replace Yutu 2 to explore the moon. | D．Identify the moon’s various layers. |
| A．A history of Chinese lunar missions. |
| B．A report on the Chang’e 4 probe’s findings. |
| C．A comparison of the Chang’e 3 and 4 probes. |
| D．How Yutu 2 explored beneath the moon’s surface. |
【推荐1】Dear Basketball
From the moment
I started rolling my dad’s tube socks
And shooting imaginary
Game-winning shots
In the Great Western Forum
I knew one thing was real:
I fell in love with you.
—Kobe Bryant (Dear Basketball)
The New Gorgeous Starting
Kobe Bryant has a real shot to add Oscar-winner to his extensive resume at 2018 Academy Awards with his short animated film Dear Basketball.
The retired Los Angeles Laker talked about the nomination and how his six-minute short film came together. He said that he loves “storytelling every bit as much as I love Basketball”.
But as Kobe Bryant has taken on a number of different projects after his retirement from basketball, he explained what being nominated for Hollywood’s top honor feels like:
“I’ve always been told that as basketball players the expectation is that you play. This is all you know. This is all you do. Don’t think about handling finances. Don’t think about going into business. Don’t think that you want to be a write- that’s cute. I got that a lot. What do you want to do when you retire? ‘Well, I want to be a storyteller.’ That’s cute. This is... a form of validation for people to look and say. ‘OK, he really can do something other than dribble and shoot.’”
What he seems to be saying is that the feeling of winning an Oscar —something so unexpected for an NBA legend—is crazier than what he felt winning rings, something he spent years focusing on in a craft (职业) he’d been working hard at.
(An extract from Kobe Bryant: Great Man Shall Never Retire)
1. Where would you be most likely to find the text?| A．In a poster. | B．In a newspaper. |
| C．On a notice board. | D．In a finance report. |
| A．has said goodbye to his basketball |
| B．has won an Oscar for his Dear Basketball |
| C．won many champion rings as an NBA legend |
| D．has undertaken many projects after his retirement |
| A．He has managed to challenge people’s traditional beliefs. |
| B．He has spent many years fighting for the splendid award. |
| C．He loves making animated films more than he does basketball. |
| D．He has lived up to people’s expectations of basketball players. |
【推荐2】At almost every Olympic Games, one athlete is named as the greatest star, and good-natured debates follow for years to come. Usually, there’s no certainty about who is really the most memorable one.
But in 1948, everyone who attended the London Olympic Games agreed on who was the greatest legend: Fanny Blankers-Koen, a 30-year-old Dutch housewife.
Before the Games, many people suggested she was too old to succeed, while others said she should stay at home with her children. When she arrived at the track, she pointed at one of them and said simply, “I’ll show you.”
And she did it.
Fanny Blankers-Koen won the 100m race with ease. With an Olympic gold medal to her name, she wanted to give up and return home because she missed her children so much. But her husband, Jan Blankers, who was also her coach, asked her to stay. The hurdles (跨栏) gold came next, followed by a championship in the 200m, which she won by 0.7 seconds—a huge margin (差额) that has not been matched since.
Blankers-Koen celebrated those victories with a big shopping tour, and only arrived back at the stadium ten minutes before the start of the 4×100m match. Without any warming up, she ran the last leg. When she started to run, the Dutch were in the third. But Blankers-Koen won the race by a foot.
If she hadn’t been limited (限制) by the IOC rules to four events, she could have won two more golds. IOC rules forced her to drop two of her strongest events, the long jump and high jump, both of which she held the world record.
On her return to the Netherlands, Queen Juliana gave her a bicycle, saying she wouldn’t have to run so much.
But she kept running until she finished her sport life as an athlete in 1955 with a 58th championship and went to three more Olympics as a coach.
In 1999 when she was honored the greatest female athlete of the 20th century, Blankers-Koen asked, “Is it really me?” When she got a positive answer, she jumped up and did a little dance.
1. Which match did Fanny Blankers-Koen take part in without preparations before its start?| A．The hurdles. | B．The 4×100m. |
| C．The 200m. | D．The long jump. |
| A．She was satisfied with her victory. |
| B．She was not sure whether she could win. |
| C．She wanted to stay with her children. |
| D．She was too tired to take part in more events. |
| A．Give up | B．Join in. | C．Turn down. | D．Pick out. |
| A．31. | B．48. | C．58. | D．61. |
【推荐3】A national hero and a world number one in badminton, Lee Chong Wei is surely one of Malaysia’s best-known athletes. He has received numerous medals. Lee and Nicol David, who is also a Malaysian player, received the title of Datuk due to the outstanding achievements they had brought to the country.
Having a strong will, Lee continually challenged himself to rise above the competitors, narrowly missing out on the gold medal and taking the silver at the 2012 London Olympics. He managed to win his ninth Malaysian Open title in 2013, breaking a record set by Malaysian athlete Wong Peng Soon in 1954; and in 2014, he had his fifth Japan Open title.
Regrettably in late 2014, Lee Chong Wei was forbidden(禁止) to compete for eight months after testing positive for drugs. The World Badminton Federation (WBF), after investigations (调 查) and a hearing, said that they did not think Lee Chong Wei tried to cheat on purpose, so he was allowed to continue to play. His world ranking suffered as a result of the punishment but he’s making his way back up.
In 2016, Lee Chong Wei won his 11th Malaysian Open and fifth Malaysian Masters titles. He also beat Lin Dan in the semi-finals and World No.1 Chen Long in the finals of the Asian Badminton Championship to win the prize. He has become the World No.1 player and continued to act as a source of encouragement to future Malaysian athletes wishing to make a name in the world.
1. How did Lee play at the London Olympics?| A．He came in second. | B．He finished third. |
| C．He won a gold medal. | D．He broke a record. |
| A．He failed a drug test. | B．He hit a player on the head. |
| C．He cheated on purpose. | D．He fought with the coach. |
| A．Lin Dan. | B．Chen Long. | C．Wong Peng Soon. | D．Nicol David. |
| A．Life. | B．Education. | C．Sports. | D．Health. |
| A．A national hero failed a drug test | B．Lee Chong Wei became World No.1 badminton player |
| C．The influence of Lee Chong Wei | D．The ups and downs of World NO.1 Malaysian badminton player |
